55 - Marine Boot Camp (2.2k words)

"Here," I returned Gold the pearl, "Your pearls are considered a courting gift, aren't they?"Gold opened his palm and waited until I dropped the pearl.I dropped the pearl, watching as it slowly descended into his palm.Gold crushed it with his fingers, and the sound of cracking and crunching echoed. He threw the crushed remains on the ground and stepped on them, "It's just an old tradition."I watched as the crushed remains of the pearl scattered on the ground and wondered how many times he had done this in the past ten years.Gold sat down and continued watching the scenery. His cold, empty gaze fixated on the lake, but he wasn't really seeing it.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·We spent a whole month sorting out the details, picking up the right gear, stockpiling, and training the mermen.While surveying the terrain, I usually spent the night inside the bubble. During breaks, I would teach Gold the formations he'd need to pass on to his mermen. Since we would pass through other beastmen's territories, Muir and Gold needed to be ready to negotiate things with them. Luckily, having a water source nearby was a big plus for everyone.Right after we returned to the ocean from surveying the terrain, Curtis swiftly slithered toward me. He quickly lifted my veil and pressed his lips against mine in a fervent kiss."You're finally back," he muttered against my lips, his hands cupping my cheeks."It was just three days."Curtis looked at me deeply, his fingers caressing my face, "Too long." His arms and tail wrapped around me and pulled me closer to him. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss. His tongue invaded my mouth, claiming and demanding more, leaving no place untouched."I'll have to leave tomorrow," he whispered. It was getting cold, and the little snake had to hibernate during the winter season."Make me miss you," I said, kissing him back, "So that when you come back, I'll welcome you with open arms and maybe something else."Chuckling, Curtis carried me deeper into the forest, leaving the rest behind. He didn't care if we were outside or inside or whether he had to use his hands or tail. All he cared about was burying himself inside me and making sure I would feel him every time I moved, reminding me of him for the rest of the day.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·Curtis's absence hit us hard right when he left. The workload piled up on Vick and Muir, who were already swamped with the construction of the canal.I wasn't fussy about having my clothes washed, my food served, my bath warm, or my sleeping spot kept tidy, but they strongly opposed the idea of me pitching in and insisted on maintaining their high standards despite the extra pressure.They couldn't ask Gold or another merman for help because that kind of request would automatically open the door to courting. Friendship between a male and a female was nearly impossible without the male expecting more. I ended up shifting my focus from household chores to assisting with the canal's planning. This involved calculating the necessary height to ensure the water flowed correctly, estimating the required volume of excavation per section, and determining the optimal distribution of our merman workforce. To finish the canal in six months, we had to dig through seven kilometers of land every day, or 300 meters every hour. It seemed like an impossible task, but not for the mermen.Their movements were quicker than any excavator, and their strength was unmatched. The cold weather actually helped since they worked better in the chill, which was great for our winter schedule.We had twenty thousand mermen on land, tirelessly working to clear the top layers and quickly beginning to fill them with water, taking shifts alongside another hundred thousand.Meanwhile, two hundred mermen began at the water's edge. The remaining hundred thousand mermen were busy handling all the logistics and groundwork. Their coordination was key to our progress.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·One week later...Riding high on Muir, I took advantage of Gold's sonic abilities to pass on messages across the site and Muir's vision to overlook an entire construction site from afar. I was looking for new ways to increase efficiency and tweaked the formations on the go. The three mermen elders have also returned. And it came to me as a surprise that all of them had four stripes. Either way, they were perfect for knocking down some stubborn trees in our way."By the tides, this is madness!" one of the mermen shouted, jabbing his shovel into the tough soil and wincing as his muscles cramped up. "No creature should have to work like this!"Murmurs of agreement bubbled up around him. A lot of the mermen had never left the sea before, and the land was totally throwing them off. Keeping their balance was a real struggle."My tail is sore.""My back is stiff.""My shoulders are killing me."But just when the grumbling got louder, Gold's clear and commanding voice cut through from the skies."Remember, the impossible is merely untried!" Gold proclaimed, his eyes gleaming with an unbreakable will. "Today's sweat is tomorrow's path. Every bit of dirt we move, every stone we set, gets us closer to not just a canal, but a new chapter of prosperity for us all!"Spurred by Gold's words, the mermen found a new burst of energy. Their spirits lifted, ready to push through the pain.· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·Two weeks later..."Son of a sea witch!" A few thousand mermen cursed as they worked under the shallow water, a massive ice cube crashing onto the net above. The net and the water softened its impact, but the frustration was palpable. "Why does it have to rain ice right when we're digging a canal for our female?!""We're gonna get hit, we're gonna get hit!""I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!""Clam up and dig, you seafools!""Look out ─ another one's coming down!"Despite these icy interruptions, the excavation moved forward.By the end of the first month, despite setbacks, the canal had reached 100 km in length and ten meters in depth, with around 250 km of a shallow upper layer carved out for the water to flow. When the temperature dropped too low, we rigged up a massive combined bubble over the site. It functioned like a greenhouse, trapping warm, humid air inside. With the mermen exerting so much energy, the inside of the bubble grew uncomfortably warm, causing them to sweat heavily; the moisture collected on the ground, turning the interior into a steamy, muddy mess.Outside, the weather worsened to the point where Muir could no longer fly, giving us no choice but to retreated into the giant bubble.Muir scrunched his nose and sneezed, "It stinks like fish." The mermen were sweating profusely, and their bodies were covered in a thick layer of mud.I handed Gold a net full of seaweed, hoping it might help with ventilation. He tried to work it into the bubble's structure, but without much success.Meanwhile, the logistics team kept busy, bringing fresh water and food through the shallow water passage and making sure to replant and stock seaweed.As I walked by, I spotted a merman weaving rocks and pebbles into rock cages, which made me wonder if the Ape King had caught news of a mer kingdom heading his way."What's funny?" Gold asked.I turned my head and saw Gold staring at me. His body was drenched in sweat, and his breathing was ragged from keeping the bubble intact, but his expression was calm and collected.I continued to snicker to myself.Gold's eyebrows frowned when Muir joined me with the snickering. His lips parted, ready to say something, but nothing came out. He closed his mouth and looked away in displeasure, probably thinking I found their sorry states funny. · · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·Five weeks later…When the news broke that a bunch of mermen had earned a new stripe, the whole place went wild. Mermen were popping up out of the water left and right as they washed off the dirt, each one grinning from ear to ear."Look at this — two stripes!" one of the young mermen shouted, holding up his arm for all to see."And I got mine too," another piped up, beaming as he strutted around a bit.The celebration was spontaneous, with mermen slapping each other's fishtails and sharing wide, toothy grins. I noticed a rare smile on Gold's lips as he watched the commotion."They have worked harder than we could have hoped," Muir commented.Gold nodded, a speck of pride flashing in his eyes. "They've been pushed beyond limits."It wasn't just about the physical work. The whole experience was like a hardcore marine Boot Camp. Sure, they had bulked up, but they also sharpened their minds, improved their coordination, and boosted their teamwork skills. It was a full-body and mind upgrade.Amidst this bustling activity, mermen called out to Gold, their voices carrying across the site. They didn't pause for a formal celebration; instead, they cheered and expressed their thanks while still on the move."Leader, thank you!" one shouted, momentarily stopping to bow deeply in the water before resuming his task, "We couldn't do all this without you!""We're lucky to have such a clever leader!" another called out, his voice echoing off the water as he hoisted a heavy load of materials."Gold is the best leader ever!"One by one, they threw out their gratitude, never really stopping their work but making sure Gold heard them. In the midst of everything, Gold shot me this look, like he might have been feeling a tad guilty for hogging all the credit. To the mermen, I probably appeared like this demanding, spoiled land female, and Gold, the wise leader who had to figure out how to appease me.I gave Gold a quick, dismissive shake of the head. No credits needed. He said it himself, didn't he? For the sake of his tribe, he'd do just about anything — lie, betray, or even kill. So suck it up, fish man.Gold turned his attention back to the work ahead, his frown deepening. · · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·Two months later…Outside the protective bubble, we stood clad in thick furs, the cold air biting at our skin. Snowflakes gently drifted down, blanketing the landscape in a soft white layer."I need to return home. My cub is about to give birth," I said, looking up at Gold, "It's on you now, Leader."Gold's expression hardened, a flicker of displeasure crossing his features.I had to repeat myself twice to let the news sink in."The weather's not great for traveling," Gold pointed out."We will manage," I said. "I understand," Gold finally responded, his voice tinged with a hint of resignation.Before I could make my exit, Vick snagged me for a quick heart-to-heart in the forest. He told me he could teleport to my side if I ever faced danger and that he'd stay behind to assist the mermen during my absence.Vick sighed and pulled me into a hug, a wry smile on his lips, "How did we end up working our assess off again? Wasn't the plan to take it easy and relax?""That was your plan," I said, wrapping my arms around his waist, "Mine was to build a canal. You can't argue that mine is not better.""You're right," Vick agreed, "Yours is better. Now come here. You need a kiss for your travels.""You just want to stick your tongue down my throat.""Can't blame a guy for trying."I snorted mockingly and stuck my tongue down his throat instead. He made a strangled noise as I kissed him thoroughly. When I released him, he staggered, his eyes glazed over."I've taught you well," he murmured, his voice low and enticing as he teasingly bit his bottom lip."I should teach you how to do better then," I teased with a smirk. "A lot more.""Is that a challenge?""A threat.""..." He froze in place, his brain momentarily stunned into silence.I laughed as I left with a parting slap on his rear, "Behave, and don't do anything I wouldn't do.""But there's nothing you wouldn't do, Precious. Remember?" Vick retorted, flashing me a charming grin. He refused to let me go until I bit his chin and darted off. Despite his shameless antics, he still had the nerve to chase after me, shouting about changing his mind and wanting to go home with me.I leaped on top of Muir's eagle form, "Fly, big boy. Fly."Muir's large wings spread, flapping hard, and we took off. I looked down, watching as the mermen worked their tails off to get the job done. I had to admit, the project was bigger and more complicated than I'd originally planned. The terrain was difficult to navigate, and the climate unpredictable, yet, they kept at it without stopping or complaining, and I felt a surge of admiration.